Dance Fight Paradise
by Masaichu
Summary: The purpose she has is higher than anyone knows. She, herself, has never been revealed to the truth. But she will be one day, for if she doesn't, it could cause more damage than anyone ever had forseen.
1. Prologue

The sky is supposed to be blue.

Despite the smoke that billows up from the top of a factory chimney or two, even in the city you can see it's crisp color.

You can still make out the formations of puffy white clouds, natural clouds, swimming above you in the vast blue void. The sky seems very close to us, closer than you would ever believe.

But if you were to reach up higher, higher than that even, you would realize just how small we all are compared to the world.

As tiny as ants. Think about how an ant feels then. How an infinite world is just laying out in front of you, filled with obstacles to take you away from your true goal.

I've never actually thought much about something like that. How small 'small' is. How small I am. How small all of them are.

Do I sound strange? Yes, I suppose I've changed a good amount since this all began...

Since the truth was opened up, I've become something that my family can't identify. But sometimes I wonder if I still remember them like they remembered me, too.

That day...Yes, I remember when that day first began. I was sitting on a park bench, staring at a pile of flowers growing nearby.

I was drawn to those flowers for whatever reason, and I thought they were probably just very pretty flowers. My eyes stared for a long, long time, until I finally glanced up and saw the sky.

The sky is supposed to be blue. But now it had turned grey.


	2. Chapter 1

Yamaha Corporation sits proudly in the midst of the city, nestled between smaller buildings. It's size is only given more attention to by the large, neon lettering atop the skyscraper.

The building had to have been at least fifty stories tall, if not even higher. Most certainly though, it was not the tallest building in the city, mind you, but it's importance would later be recognized.

It was here, in the year of 2004, after tireless failures in every creation, that one survived. It was but a small disk, however, it would revolutionize Yamaha forever.

Containing thousands of program tweaks, strings of binary code and software updates, it was the only program of it's kind to make it past the initial planning stages.

This project would be then dubbed by the name of LEON, the first synthetic software designed to sing and match the tones, pitches and words of an actual human male

At the same time, a second project had been underway to make a partner voice for the LEON program. This partner voice was to be matched to the voice of a human female, and in effect, was named LOLA.

The LEON and LOLA programs were, in reality, an attempt to see if human voices could in fact be imitated to the point of sounding exactly like those of a living, breathing creature. What they had made proved much more than that was possible.

--

Originally, the purpose of these programs was merely for recreational uses. For a time, only a limited amount of people, mostly those who gave substantially large amounts of payment, were given the chance to use these programs.

All they had been designed to do was sing, simply by letting the user type in the lyrics and notes into a computer interface. The music industry was baffled by this once the news was heard.

Music created in such a way was a threat to their own buisness in the world, and it only became worse once the LEON and LOLA programs were made available to the public.

--

Four months after the release of the first two Vocaloid programs, a third voice had been developed. This voice was given the title of MIRIAM, and was modeled after the voice of a young woman.

The creators were intrigued by what they had accomplished in such short time. They had given life to a voice with no body.

This very thought was what gave into the first of a long line of tests, results, and ultimately, the birth of life.

--

It's been many years since people had heard the very first words of a Vocaloid. Now, there were enough in the world to make any music producer happy. Pick one. Give it a song. You have a hit.

Today, however, the voices are much more than voices. They have bodies. Personalities. You would never guess from their appearance that most of them were robots. Most. Save for one, here and there.

The Vocaloids were created purely for the purpose of singing and entertainment.

That's what the public was told, and they accepted it, as did the Vocaloids. Two 'races' of sorts, living together as though no differences separated them.

Ultimately, this very statement was what would eventuelly lead to the truth.


	3. Chapter 2

_"Miku...Miku..."_

_Someone is calling her name, but it sounds so distant, so far away._

_"Miku...Miku..."_

_She wants to run towards the person calling her, but she finds herself trapped in this cage. This cold, metal cage, and all that's around her is an endless black void. Who is it, though? Who's yelling her name?_

_"Miku...Come...Miku..."_

_The cage doesn't budge no matter how much she hits it. She tries to yell back to the voice, but nothing comes out of her throat. Her mouth moves, yet no sound musters. Each cry is getting more desperate._

_"Miku...! Miku...! Come, Miku...! Miku...!"_

_Her chest suddenly feels like it's on fire. She shuts her eyes, and it all fades away..._

_"Miku...Miku..."_

--

"Miku! Miku! Get up already!"

Sitting up as fast as she can, Miku looked all around the room. Her door was being knocked on furiously as she heard Meiko's voice yelling at her.

"We have a lot to do today if you remember, so get up already!" No doubt she was still slightly drunk from last night.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Miku yelled back. She was too spooked from that dream to want to deal with Meiko's drunken yelling.

Footsteps walked away from the door and she sighed. Who's voice had that been in her dream? It seemed like she should know it from somewhere, but the name escaped her.

But she didn't have time to think if there was a chance Meiko would come back. Sliding out of bed, Miku hurriedly dressed herself and ran out the door, disregarding the dream.

--

By the time she came out to the living room, Kaito and Rin were already there. Rin was almost too busy complaining to Kaito -though he wasn't always listening- to notice Miku come in.

"Len is supposed to be up when I am! All he does anymore is sleep, eat, sing and sleep again! Honestly, he's been more moody lately too! I don't understand what he could possibly be moody about- Oh! Miku! Good morning!"

Rin's frown quickly changed to a smile as Miku walked over.

"Good morning, Miku!" Kaito chimed in, a smile on his face as well. Miku did that, she made people smile as soon as she walked into a room.

Miku gave them a smile before cocking her head at Rin. "Len's been more moody?"

"Yes!" Rin instantly went back to her frowning mode. "He gets all defensive when I try to talk to him about it too!"

"Ahh...I'm sure he's just going through some changes or something." Kaito suggested, shrugging his shoulders. Perhaps he was the second oldest male of the house, but even he had no idea what was troubling the younger teen. Rin nudged him.

"Maybe you and Len should have a 'manly' talk." She teased. Standing, she grabbed either of their arms and proceeded to drag them to the recording room before anyone bugged them to do so.

--

The room was cluttered with machines and microphones everywhere. Instruments lay in spots all over, and stacks of CD cases littered the floor, table and recording mechanisms.

Meiko was already there when they came, looking a bit more sober now than when she'd gone to wake Miku up. Her hands were busy trying to sort all the CDs on a table. Quietly, she mumbled the names written on them.

"Cantarella...Melt...Sunday..." The piles around her were stacked by who'd sung them, growing higher and higher.

"Meiko!" Kaito said from behind her.

Startled, Meiko swung her hand out, knocking over the stacks. "Kaito, you baka! Now I have to do this again!" She proceeded to hit him, only stopping once he cowered below her.

"I-I won't do it again, I promise!"

"Alright, alright..." Meiko cut off his apologies, though gave him a small slap to the head to prove her point. "Just get in that booth and let's get this recording done with!"

--

Knock Knock.

Someone is knocking on his door. But he won't answer it, because he doesn't want to get out of bed.

Knock Knock.

Now it's getting annoying.

"Len-kun? Are you getting up?"

Oh great, Gakupo is asking him to get up. If he says no, he'll probably end up getting chased around with a sword or something...

--

The door swings open and Gakupo is met by Len. His clothes are looking all wrinkled, like he slept in them instead of pajamas last night, and his hair is sticking out all over.

"Er, Len...You look rather, um..."

Luka passes by them, and though she often maintains a calm, almost emotionless demeanor, he can hear a small snicker escape her lips when she sees Len's unkept form.

Shooting her a glare, Len sighed to himself as he walked down the hall. He didn't want to move, he wanted to _sleep_, to just lay around and do nothing.

"Are you feeling alright?" Gakupo asked from behind him, still standing by the door.

"I'm feeling fine. Just a little tired, that's all..." He didn't stop walking as he spoke.

At a loss of what to say, Gakupo shut the door and quickly shuffled after Len.

--

Stepping out from the booth, Miku was met by clapping from her friends. Yet another successful recording and she was feeling rather good today. The dream was but a vague memory now.

Rin clapped slowly. As happy as she was, the rift of popularity that separated Miku from Len and Rin was still apparent.

Meiko and Kaito clapped with all their might, though. The sound of Miku's uplifting voice had brightened their spirits for today at least.

Here she was in her perfect house with her perfect friends and her perfect life. Miku was proud to be a Vocaloid, if not also a bit happy to boast just the tiniest bit about her fame and popularity.

Caught up in it all, the day seemed to slip by quickly...

--

The afternoon sun shined down upon the city warmly. Such a feeling was tantalizing enough that Miku wished nothing more than to go outside and take a walk.

One place she always enjoyed going was the park, where the kids would be playing and the parents gossiping and of course fans sometimes came around.

When she found herself there though, she was greeted with silence.

To her surprise, the park was entirely empty. No children were on the swings. No dogs running about and playing fetch. No parents sharing small talk.

Silence.

Sitting upon a bench, Miku stared up at the sky. For some reason, the cloudless sky seemed lonely today.

A single bluebird flew over her, it's wings flapping in the breeze as it flew towards the skyscrapers so far away. That bird...It reminded her then of her dream.

The cage and the voice calling her name out. It had been so lonely then, just like it was here...

She quickly departed, running back the way she came.

Behind her the bluebird made a lonely caw and vanished off into the distance...

----

The chapters for this story will get longer in the future. Also, I've set up a poll asking which fan made Vocaloids should make an appearance in the story, which you can view in my profile.

Ah, anyone want to take a guess on what this story is based off from?


	4. Chapter 3

By the time Miku had come back, the sky had gone from crisp blue to a dark gray. Oh, she disliked rainy days, but she had to admit that those were the days the flowers drank the water that kept them alive.

Walking into the building just before it started to rain, Miku was greeted with the scent of smoke. She could hear the sound of sparks and steam, like something was being grilled up.

In the kitchen she found Luka at the stove, the indoor grill set on top of it. What looked like fish was being grilled a bit too crispy as sparks flew here and there.

"Ah, Miku. You've returned I see." Luka turned to smile slightly at Miku, seemingly not aware of how badly the fish had burnt.

"Um...Thanks, Luka-san, but, um...Shouldn't you take those off now?" She pointed at the grill.

Luka appeared to understand and turned off the grill fast, feeling a bit silly for not having noticed. On the other hand, Miku stifled a giggle. Cooking around here was never quite what you believed it to be.

Especially that one time when Len and Kaito tried to make banana ice cream, only for the blender to-

"C'mon already!" Came a yell down the hall. Miku lept into the air slightly, startled from the noise. Had that been Rin? Or maybe she'd mistaken and it was Len?

Either way, she knew it was one of the twin's voices.

"We're supposed to practice, Len! And I can't practice without you! You know that!"

"I just don't feel like practicing right now!"

"You never feel like doing _anything_, whether it's right now or later!"

"I'm tired, that's all!"

The twins came walking from around the corner, bickering with each other as per usual. Once in the room, they stared each other down before crossing their arms and looking away from one another.

"I'm not talking to you, Len!"

"Fine! Then I'm not talking with you!"

Luka and Miku flashed each other a look of concern. It wasn't strange to see the twins fight over something, but now it seemed to be occurring more than it needed to be. Before they could ask the twins what was wrong, they walked off in either direction, not even glancing back at the other.

"That certainly was awkward, commented Luka, but we have something important to concentrate on."

Setting her umbrella down, Miku leaned against the counter to listen.

"Don't you remember we are having guests today?"

"Eh!? No! No, I didn't remember that!" Hastily, the blue-haired girl ran out of the kitchen to see what was happening.

_'How could I have forgotten? Meiko-san said we were having family over this morning, I surely couldn't just forget! Ah...But she didn't say how many, either...I hope it's not too many...'_

--

"S-Stop, Aniki!" Kaito cried, trying to grab at the blue muffler that was currently choking the life out of him. Clawing for the edge, he pulled hard and dove under, the cloth coming off his neck altogether as he gasped for air. Taunting laughter ensued behind him.

"You're such a pushover, I swear." A tall male who looked much like Kaito grasped the scarf in his fist. His hair was a bright shade of red, along with the paint of his fingernails. The coat he wore was much like Kaito's, though it was a deep gray.

"That wasn't f-funny! You could have choked me to death!" He wheezed. The red male rolled his eyes.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you were overreacting? As far as I can remember, you don't have metal lungs."

His own throat was then constricted by the red scarf around his neck. Instinctively, he threw his arms out and tried to push away Kaito.

"Akaito, you're so mean!"

The brother's fought a moment before they wrestled each other to the floor, trading insults and punches as well as, yet again, attempting to choke each other.

When a fiery fist slammed upon their heads, that was when they gave up, abandoned their scarves and bowed to the floor for forgiveness.

"Will you two knock it off!?" Meiko demanded, eye twitching. She watched with disgust as the two continued their bowing, begging over and over for her not to hit them again and that they would be nice, and blah, blah, blah...

"Besides, he started it!" "I did not! You did, you baby!"

"I don't _care_who started it! Either shut up or leave each other alone because I've had it with you two arguing every single time you're around each other! Kaito, you go over there! Akaito, you go there! And if I catch you two again I swear I won't let you get off easy!"

Both fled in fear to their appointed side of the room, not wishing to see what she would do if they didn't.

Meiko walked back over to two, now giggling girls. One had pink hair that looked like it had a tornado shape into either side, the other looked much like Meiko, only smaller and younger.

"You got them good, Meiko-san!" The pink haired one cried, pumping her fist in the air. Meiko only rolled her eyes.

"I wish I didn't have to do that to get them to listen."

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Miku jumped in front of the group with the best smile she could make.

"Everyone! It's good to see you!" Such an outburst had the girls again laughing and squealing and talking now, all about where'd they'd been, what they'd been up to

Which gave sufficiente time for the two brothers to make a fast escape...

--

As it turned out, the only guests that made it that night were Akaito Shion, Teto Kasane and Sakine16. More were supposed to arrive, yes, but it had been one of those days where a last minute error wormed into the plans.

But three was a crowd, after all, and it was more than enough to get everyone together in the large living room.

On the small coffee table sat a radio, playing a CD of various Vocaloid songs while it's artists talked, danced and mingled.

"Haha! You look so cute when you're mad!"

"Len's not cute when he's mad, Teto, he's just annoying!" Rin was, obviously, still peeved at her twin for not lightening up and apologizing for their earlier argument.

Sitting on the couch, Miku looked around at her friends. More often than not, she would be all over the place talking with people and having a good time, but for some reason she just didn't feel that today.

A glance out the window let her catch a glimpse of the storm still brewing outside. As dull and gray as it was out there, the atmosphere in here was clearly something else.

"I can surely dance better than you, Gakupo! You have two left feet!"

"Take that back! I'll show you!"

Just as the radio was getting cranked up, a sudden crash banged the house. It sounded like a huge rumble inside a metal pot.

The lights in the building flickered and went out. Miku could have sworn she'd felt a slight twinge of the heat of lightning in her circuits.

"Ah! What happened?!" Rin cried.

"Ow! Kaito, you idiot, get off me!"

"S-Sorry, Aniki..."

Blinking her eyes a few times, Miku stood up and tried to adjust to the darkness. Everyone was either in a panic or looked unhappy with the intrusion of their fun.

She could vaguely make out certain figures, like Teto over by the armchair, and Gakupo's sword at his hip.

There was someone in the corner over there as well...Wait...How many people were here again?

Miku counted the number of people she knew were here, remembering where they'd been the point the lights had faded.

It had been ten, right? Ten...But she counted eleven now...Who was...

The figure's head turned in her direction, and Miku knew she was being looked at. She could feel the eyes of this person looking directly into her own.

Her body seemed frozen to the ground. A sense of fear washed over her for one second before being replaced by a feeling of knowing, understanding. She took a step closer...

But the next moment she blinked, the lights flickered back to life. She vaguelly recalled they had a backup generator at that point. Looking back at the corner, Miku saw no figure there anymore. No one even close to there. She could have sworn though...

Everyone's voices grew loud again, confused and frightened.

"The lights are back again!"

"That must be some storm out there..."

"Teto, how will we go back in this weather?"

"A lightning strike like that..."

Miku didn't hear them, though. The numbness of her body was gone, but the emotional feeling wouldn't go away. It was like a buzz going through her robotic veins.

Had she imagined someone there in a moment of fright? Or was there really something there? If so, who were they? And how and why had they gotten here?

She had no more time to think. The party immediately went into full swing again, and she felt someone pull her into the ring of dancing.

Taking clumsy steps, Miku went along with the flow of the song until the buzz had left nothing but a small sting behind.

The memory was quickly forgotten, but only for the time being...

--

Hopefully this chapter was longer... I'm attempting to write longer chapters as this gets deeper in, so check back for more soon! Also! PLEASE give me a helping hand by going to my profile and answering the poll on what characters you want in here. There are more choices than there were before now.

Some characters like Haku and Akita aren't in the poll because they are either going to be in the story or have too little information to work with.  
Check back soon for more of the story, and thanks for sticking with me!


	5. Chapter 4

That voice...It's calling me again. Who are you? I can hear you and I can call back but you still say only my name...Is that all you can say? Please tell me who you are......"Miku"

_"...Voice...Me...Hear me..."_

_I can hear you...I try to run towards you but I'm trapped in this cage...This metal cage...I'm sitting on the little swing, like a bird._

_A birdcage where I am trapped. Like a parrot, talking and talking but getting nothing._

_Suddenly you seem so...far away..._

"...Hurry...Late...Go on..."

_What...? What are you telling me? No...Just a bit longer..._

--

The echoing sound of thunder ricocheted off the walls as Miku bolted upright. Her heart quickened and her breathing quicker still. What had she dreamt of just now? Was it another dream like the last?

It felt too real, but that was the nature of dreams, right? They always felt a bit too real...

Something compelled her to stand up though. She didn't feel like she could go back to bed at...What time was it? Well, it was late to say the least. Would the others be asleep right now?

Creeping to the door, she cracked it open and snuck out, the need to explore a bit stronger than usual...

--

_'They stayed...'_

Miku noted as she walked by the spare rooms. Teto and Sakine were fast asleep in one, though how they managed to fall asleep in such a storm when away from home, she couldn't believe.

Sleeping elsewhere was common on a tour of any kind, but Miku always felt a small sort of emptiness when they left the safety of their own home.

Sneaking a peek into the door of the room next door, she smiled.

Akaito was sleeping -though most likely not in total peace- with Kaito laying beside him. She had to run to the foyer to snicker so as not to risk accidently waking them up.

Those two might have gone at each other's necks more than once, but the bond of brothers couldn't escape even them.

But could Akaito possibly have been told to consent to having Kaito sleep with him? It was probably either, _"I'm too scared to sleep during a big storm, Aniki!"_ or maybe _"I don't want Aniki to sleep alone with such a scary storm around..."_

Whatever the reason, he probably had to turn to begging to get Akaito to actually listen. And the only reason Akaito had even listened was because the begging got on his nerves every time.

Continuing to walk, Miku froze during a thunder clap, then ran past the twin's rooms and back to her own, flopping in bed.

She covered herself with blankets, shivering slightly. Thunder always made her circuitry want to suddenly snap into a state of frozen data. Being frozen was never fun though. You couldn't see, hear or do anything. Couldn't even move.

It was scary. She knew from experience, after she froze that one time on stage. The headlines had eaten that up...

Covering her head under the blankets, Miku shut her eyes and tried desperately to fall asleep...

--

_Rumbling. Loud rumbling, like thunder almost. But louder. More frightening than thunder is. Like it's coming closer and closer to you. Like it's a living, breathing creature and each rumble is it's every breath, growing more and more towards you..._

_The steel bars of the cage won't let me out. But I have to run, I have to. This thing is coming after me, I know it is. It wants to tear me into pieces and uninstall me until I can't even think._

_I must escape..._

_"Run...Run...Please hurry...Run away..."_

_I can't run away, voice! I can't! Help me! Just get me out of here and I'll run! It's getting closer! What is it!? It's...It's..._

--

Rain was still pattering against the window when morning came. Miku's mind was in a state of glitched up thoughts, trying to decipher what she'd just dreamt of.

Why these nightmares were coming, she had no idea. Maybe she'd eaten something really bad? Was she getting sick?

She had scanned herself...Nothing seemed wrong...

It can't be bothered with now though. There's too much to be done today. No room to be thinking about something she can't control.

Sliding into new clothes, she trudged sleepily out of the room. Maybe she should go down and Quick Charge herself...Sleeping was better, yes, but still...

--

A new sight graced her as Miku came into the kitchen. Sitting at the table was none other than Haku Yowane, a wet blanket around her robotic parts. She was shivering like the future.

Meiko and Luka were also in the kitchen, Luka at the stove, Meiko next to Haku while trying to talk to her.

It appeared as though Haku had been crying, which was nothing new, but this time it seemed strangely...worse. Like all those other times of crying rolled into one.

"...Haku...?" She whispered.

Everyone turned to look at her quickly, like they'd heard a ghost.

"Oh, Miku, you're up..." Meiko's voice trailed away. Luka merely turned back to the stove, unable to think of words.

Walking up slowly to Haku, Miku knelt on her legs and looked up at Haku's tearful expression. Something had truly hurt the Voyakiloid, she just knew it...

"Haku, what happened?"

Her fears were confirmed. With a sniffle, Haku replied.

"...D...Dell kicked me out..."


	6. Chapter 5

"W...What? Dell kicked you out? Kicked you _out_ of the house?" Miku's voice was filled with shock. Dell Honne would _never_ do that, no matter how mad he was! Not to any Voyakiloid, much less his own sister!

"He did...He really...Did it..." Haku's voice sounded more broken then it ever had before.

Meiko patted her shoulder, trying to give the girl some comfort. She wasn't quite sure what to do with the situation though, because she wasn't exactly familiar with Voyakiloids. She'd had a drink with Haku before, yes, but never really had the time to have a nice, long conversation with each other.

"Why would he do that?" Miku asked, her expression worrisome.

"He...He was mad at me..."

--

_The Voyakiloids were, as simple as can be put, failed counterpart versions of the Vocaloids. Many of them were prototypes that were thrown out onto the streets because they sang terribly or had questionable behavior. They weren't fit to be Vocaloids._

_But it didn't matter anymore. They'd tried, they really had, to become what their other selves had achieved. It just wasn't meant to be, as many suppose._

_Instead of a large mansion, they live in an old, crumbling down building. It used to be a storage building for the prototypes, but a smattering of paint and a few posters can do wonders._

_As usual, Dell Honne sat busy at his desk. Typing at the computer one second, organizing papers the next, filing things another, back to typing, double round to fill out this and put away those..._

_Until the door opens._

_"Haku."_

_"Um...Dell...I'm, uh...home..." She stuttered. Dell turned in his swivel chair to face her._

_"Where have you been? You didn't come back last night! Tell me you weren't at that bar again."_

_He pressed two fingers to his forehead, rubbing it. Great, another migraine coming on._

_"N-No...I wasn't, uh, there...Um..." Haku fidgeted slightly. Don't let him ask, please don't let him ask..._

_"Then where were you?"_

_Dang it._

_"Uh...I was...Well...I was...Talking t-to Meiko-san..." She watched her brother's expression change. He looked surprised._

_"Why would you be talking to her? I've always told you to never talk with those Vocaloids. They are our enemy, understand?"_

_"I-I wouldn't say that, Dell..." Haku grasped the doorway's edge for a moment. She knew her brother got mad when she talked about the Vocaloids, but sometimes he'd take it too far..._

_Taking a lighter out of his pocket, Dell pitched the cigarette he was smoking and instantly lit another, placing it between his lips in the same place as the old._

_"You haven't answered me. Why were you there?" That cold voice meant trouble..._

_"I wanted to...To sing better...S-So I asked if...If I could...Could have lessons...Or something..." Dell slammed his fist on the desk, making her jump back._

_"What!? You're taking lessons from her?! She's one of THEM, one of those 'better models'!"_

_The cigarette pinched up slightly in his teeth, Haku could see it from where she stood. She was afraid to move anymore. Why had Dell become so violent recently? He was never this way before..._

_Turning away from her, he stood up. His voice tried to speak softer._

_"Haku. I don't want you talking to them. You're not one of them, you're one of us. You're a Voyakiloid, understand? Voyakiloids only talk to each other, only need each other. We don't need anyone else to teach us how to sing any better."_

_Sitting back down, Dell began working again. Attempting to end the conversation with silence._

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"...It's not like any of you could teach me to be any better..."_

_BAM._

_Haku fell backwards, hitting the wall of the hallway behind her as Dell suddenly loomed over her furiously._

_"Damn it, Haku! Don't you understand it yet? We're not getting any better because we CAN'T! It's in our programming! We were made to be the way we are! We're not like humans who can just practice and get better and all that! No amount of lessons will make your circuits go any further in place than they already are!"_

_Trembling with fear, Haku attempted to crawl away, but felt a heavy boot on her leg and stopped. She knew for a fact that those boots could crush her armoring and more._

_"You spend more time with them than you do here anymore! Do you not love us anymore? Do you not embrace your Voyakiloid parts?"_

_"I don't want to anymore!" She suddenly cried out. Something inside her felt like it was breaking free._

_"I don't want to live in an old shack and know that I'm never going to sing right! I want to sing better! I want to be fixed!"_

_Dell took in her words, slowly taking his boot off her leg. He was silent, his face hard to read. Breathing out a billow of smoke, he turned from her._

_"...Then leave here."_

_"...Dell, I-"_

_"If you hate it so much here then go somewhere else. You don't belong to the Voyakiloids if you can't get used to the rough life."_

_Pushing herself into standing position, Haku's voice was lost in her rusty voice box._

_"No..."_

_"__They're_ the_ ones with any money. If you want to get fixed and become one of them, fine. I don't care anymore, Haku. I just don't care anymore."_

_Dell seated himself back in his chair and put his head in his hands. Never once had Haku ever seen her brother cry. This was as close as she could remember it having gotten to._

_"Dell, I..."_

_"GO! Leave if you want to! Either stay or leave!" The robotic side of his voice was returning. Sadness choking itself back into his brain chip. Seeping inside of him..._

_SLAM._

_Was that the door? The front door? Or her bedroom door? He didn't know. He didn't care. Merely curled up with his face down almost to the desk's top and letting the tears fall. Imagining her running._

_Running past KIATO, past Annie. To the front door. Running outside into the pouring rain..._

--

"I c-couldn't stay there..." Haku sniffled again, tightening the blanket around her. Her eyes were cast downward, but she could still see Miku kneeled in front of her, looking lost.

Sliding her hand up to her chest, Miku felt a small kink in her works. She and Haku were bonded by that one small program. That one little byte that made them Prototype and Finished Model. Miku could feel the shifting of gears within her almost coming to a halt.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it..." Luka said, appearing with a plate of fresh breakfast and putting it down in front of the gray-haired girl.

"He never gets that angry..."

"T-That's just it, Miku snapped up, he wouldn't do something like that! After all, he still has that kind part of Len's program somewhere, and-"

A shrill scream cut the air. Sounds of shoes clomping up and down stairs, going across floors. From upstairs came Rin's yell.

"Everyone, everyone! Help him! Please help him!!"

Meiko and Miku lept up immediately and darted out, leaving the other two in their dust.

They nearly tripped on the stairs when the others came rushing past them from either side, Gakupo running fastest with Kaito running two stairs at a time.

A yellow painted door swung back and forth ever so gently at the end of the hall.

The lights were down low in the room, but two figures were easily identifiable.

Rin Kagamine, fists curled up to her chest with tears falling from her eyes as Len Kagamine lay on the bed in front of her, his body jerking violently with seizures.

--

"We've been checking all of his systems for errors, bugs, viruses..."

"Yet you still haven't found anything?"

Looking down nervously, the scientist shook his head sadly.

Behind him, suspended in the glowing capsule was Len's body, his limbs now still and his eyes shut. He looked nothing at all like he'd been through anything out of the ordinary. On the contrary, he looked as though a peaceful sleep had come over him.

Placing his hand to the glass, Gakupo could see his reflection within. Running a hand through thick purple locks, he closed his eyes and bowed slightly.

"Please awaken soon..."

Time seemed frozen in that moment.

In his mind, he prayed for the younger boy.

And with that, took his leave of the laboratory.

--

The sign says "Testing Area" but she thinks what it really should say is "No Hope Room."

Laying on the bench, Rin kept her eyes tightly shut so as not to allow the tears to leak out again. She can feel Kaito's hand running through her blond hair. His lap is more comfortable than the cold, hard bench, for sure.

"They'll find out what's wrong with him..."He spoke in a whisper like a father would to his daughter if she had been awoken late at night by a raging thunderstorm.

"He just...I tried to wake him up...And he looked at me and just...Started...Doing that..." Rin shuddered at the memory.

The image of her twin flailing on the bed widely with his eyes wide and dialated would probably be forever implanted into her brain chip. Replaying over and over like a video.

"Ne, don't be so worried. They'll figure it out, they always have when ever something happened before." Kaito gave her one of his goofy smiles and ruffled her hair.

"Len won't give up easily either! You know that!" He smiled wider this time for emphisis. Giving him the faintest smile, she plopped her head back down in his lap and closed her eyes.

_Len won't give up easily..._

--

_Processing...Decompressing Files, 62%...Files Decompressed._

_Proceeding with Virus Scan...Scanning...Scanning...Scanning..._

_No Virus Detected..._

A few groans and grumbles came from the scientists in the room as many others worked on other procedures. No test or scan had yielded a sign of what could be wrong with the young Vocaloid.

Everything seemed fine, all the wires connected, no foreign objects detectable.

"Sir?" One spoke to the leader.

"Yes? What now? Have you found the cause?"

"Ah...No sir...But, I must ask, could whatever it is, perhaps, be something much deeper in the system?"

"What do you mean, 'deeper'?"

"I'm merely suggesting, sir, that it could be something wrong with one of his internal chips..."

The taller man gave him a look of slight anger and frustration.

"We do not need to look any deeper. Those pieces are unable to have anything wrong with them, you know that well. Enough of this, go to your computer and begin a scan for any type of security leaks. Am I clear?"

"...Yes sir..." The scientist backed away and headed for his station.

Touching the glass surface, the other scientist thought to himself.

_'We will not access those chips. We can not let anyone know of their existence. Already it's been jeapordized once with the creation of 'her'. I will not allow this facility to make such a mistake again...'_

An alarm suddenly ran across the room, red lights flashing.

"What's going on?" The man demanded. Ahead of him, doors opened and light poured in as a rolling cot swiveled in.

"Emergency, sir! The Ren Haine Unit suddenly shut down!"

--

Rin's eyes were set upon the girl standing near the door. She looked much like Rin, but very different as well. She had black hair and gray eyes and all her clothes were black as well. Her long hair ran down over her right eye, and she wore a silver-gray headband in her hair, the bow drooping downward.

The girl stood still at the door, silent. Slowly, she turned to look at Rin, who sat up and looked into those black eyes.

"...Lin Haine..."

"...Rin Kagamine..."

The two knew whom the other was easily. Lin Haine had been one of the many Prototype Rin's made. The only differences between the two was their color, singing voice and slight personality, but other than that, they were like two images from two different mirrors.

"You're here because something is wrong with Len."

"And you're here because something is wrong with Ren." Rin replied back.

Kaito pointed between one and the other, more than a little freaked out at what he was seeing. When a ring from his pocket broke the silence, he stood up and grabbed the phone, fleeing fast so as to get away from the awkward girls.

They appeared to ignore him however, and stood face to face.

"Do you know what's wrong with Len?"

"...No...They can't figure it out..."

Lin looked down slowly, shadow casting over her eyes. "Then they won't find out what's wrong with Ren..."

"They will...They have to..."

--

"I can't understand why this is happening, sir! First the Len Unit, then Ren..."

"The Len Unit is the Base, don't you see? If the Base fails, then they all will as well. That is why I can not let them burn out!"

"Sir, another one is coming in!"

"Who this time?"

"The Rei Kagene Unit..."

"It's spreading like wildfire! Finish that test over there! And you two, begin work on checking the firewalls."

"Make another capsule ready, sir, a fourth one is coming as well."

--

"Ah."

Rin jerked up slightly, touching her chest plate before looking at Lin.

"Rui."

"I know, I felt it too."

"This is...Bad...This is very bad..." Rin sat on the bench again, putting her head in her hands. If it was bad enough that Len's own kind was feeling it, it had to be something terrible.

Walking back from around the corner, Kaito shut his phone and sat down slowly. His eyes looked filled with a sense of dread. He waited a moment before turning to the girls.

"...The others are coming. With Haku."

"..."

"...Why?" Lin questioned when Rin didn't speak.

"All they said was that...Something was wrong with Haku's brother, too."


	7. Chapter 6

"No! No, I'm not leaving without him! I won't!" Screamed Rin, scrambling onto her feet again and making a break for the laboratory door. Yet again, Meiko and Gakupo dove after her, grabbing either of her arms and pulling her back.

"Rin, calm down! Rin!" Meiko pulled harder on her, trying to keep the young Vocaloid restrained.

"Just give them some time!" Agreed Gakupo, who even admitted to himself that the girl was much stronger than she looked.

For a moment, Rin ran in place until she slumped back and fell backwards on the hard floor, arms held up in defeat. She didn't bother trying to struggle.

Everyone was quiet for a minute until she stood silently, the two cautiously letting go of her. That was when she sprang again, this time able to run past them and into the laboratory.

"Rin!!"

Diving past scientists and professors as she was pursued, Rin saw the capsules ahead and ran to the one that contained Len. His body was suspended aimlessly, held in place by various hook-up links.

"Len!! Len!!" She screamed, pounding on the glass. "Wake up, Len! You can't leave me all alone! Please don't leave me!"

But no matter how much Rin hit the glass and yelled his name, Len's eyes didn't flicker open.

Sliding down the glass capsule to her knees, she fell into a myriad of tears until the others ran inside. Gakupo's strong arms gathered her up and carried her out as everyone stood bewildered.

Shifting her eyes around, Miku took in the sights of the laboratory as the scientists shooed them out. She had never needed to go inside here, and she hoped she would never have to.

And yet...It still felt vaguely familiar, this place...

--

When she came back to her supposed home, Haku was flooded by questions from her fellow Voyakiloids. No matter how much they crowded around her and asked her what had happened, what was wrong, she didn't reply.

All she could think of was Dell. She hadn't been here to help him, to see for herself what was wrong. But if what had happened to Len also happened to Dell...

It took all of Haku's strength to erase the image of her brother convulsing violently as it had been described.

"Oi, Haku?! Are you going to tell us or what?!" Shouted Deruko, who shook Haku by the shoulders.

"W-Why is he not with you...?" KIATO asked timidly, shivering at Deruko's outburst.

Haku didn't say a word, her body still and silent.

Dell was hurt, and still believed those words she'd said. It was too late for her to say sorry. And she hadn't been here...

She wasn't there for her brother when he needed someone the most.

Her vision grew dizzy and glazed over with ones and zeros.

"Haku!!" Someone yelled, but she had no clue whom it was.

Her legs caved in, and she fainted to the floor.

--

As different as they were, Rui and Lin were more than welcome by the other Vocaloids to stay with them until this mess was sorted out. Neither of the Rin-like units spoke the on the way there.

Rin herself lay on the backseat, eyes closed while trying to fight herself into sleep.

Glancing behind, Meiko watched the young girl turn onto her other side, a shiver quickly circuiting through her body. She could remember something she'd heard before that sleep was how people dealt with fear.

That was how Rin was dealing with her fear, then. She slept.

Shaking her head and adjusting herself back into looking forward, the older woman's eyes darted to look out the window at the passing buildings.

Whatever was wrong, they would fix it. She couldn't remember a time when a Vocaloid had not been able to be repaired, or even remember a Vocaloid who had been needed to leave them.

That was good then...It meant Len and the others would be okay...No Vocaloid is unrepairable...Right?

--

The read out of the clock says 2:47 in blocky, red letters.

For possibly the tenth time that night, Miku closed her eyes and tried to feign sleep. But no luck would come, as yet again her eyes snapped open with an audible click.

Her legs felt restless, like they needed to move, to walk.

Standing up and stretching her legs out as far as she could, Miku walked into the hallway and towards the kitchen. Maybe if she ate something, she'd get drowsy.

Creepy shadows stretched across the hallway as moonlight spilled in from various windows.

Flicking the switch for the lights, the kitchen remained dark. With a confused look, Miku flipped the switch several times on and off, but it was to no avail.

"They must have burned out..." She concluded. Considering how used the kitchen often was, it wouldn't come by as much of a surprise if that were the case.

Carefully going to the fridge, she groped around in the darkness until the cool, metal handle was clasped in her fingers.

She pulled on it hard.

It refused to open.

She pulled a second time, harder.

Still shut.

Again, pulling.

Now Miku was starting to get annoyed with all this. First the lights won't turn on, now the fridge won't open? She swore that this house was slowly crumbling and falling apart around them...

"Miku."

She jumped back and looked over in the darkness. A figure stood looming in the darkness, staring in her direction.

"W...Who's there?" Miku stood in her best stance, hoping it was one of the others. It wasn't unheard of for burglers to come around here, but it was Gakupo or Meiko who scared them off.

Why her of all times tonight?

"Back down, Miku." The voice came again, low and deep. Yet comforting, like Kaito's.

"Who are you?"

"A friend. A truth teller."

Lights turned on all around Miku, the bright light forcing her eyes to close.

--

When she could open her eyes again, Miku found herself in an empty room, the walls, floor and ceiling all painted a clean shade of pure white.

"I see you have awoken."

Turning to look behind her, Miku saw him.

He was a tall male who, just as she had first thought, looked very much like Kaito. His skin was a dark brown, though his hair was almost as white as the room itself.

A black coat decorated his body, with yellow cuffs on the arms, along with yellow trim that felt just above a pair of red boots.

But what drew Miku most were his eyes, which seemed blank, yet filled with something she couldn't quite put into words.

It was like determination, but...Something more.

"Who are you," she asked again, "and where are we?"

"Hmm...You find names so very important, don't you? Fine then, you may call me Yuku." He responded, not bothering to answer her other question.

Miku looked him up and down, taking in his appearance. What was this feeling in her hardware? This little tingling feeling that wouldn't leave...

"Come."

She looked up to see him walk to one of the walls and grasp a door handle hidden within the whiteness and pull it open, darkness pouring through on the other side.

A step forward, another step forward...

Like her legs had a mind of their own, Miku followed him through the doorway.

Emerging to the other side, she found that they were in a dark room, almost as empty as the white room, until a blue light illuminated itself on the other side of where they stood.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Yuku pointed with his other hand towards the blue light.

"Go. And the truth will be revealed."

Walking cautiously, the light grew bigger and bigger until Miku realized it was a small computer, with a single cord sticking up towards her. He wanted her to plug this into her system?

Before she could consider, the plug suddenly seemed to fly foward and smack into her arm compartment, clicking into place.

How had that...

Images ran through her eye screens, sounds echoing throughout her hearing systems.

"The truth will set you free, my dear." Yuku spoke behind her. "You are learning of what is true, and what is false around you. I too, however, share your deception..."

A feeling of drowsiness swept over her, and Miku fell to her knees.

"That's right...Close your eyes, and remember it all..."

The last thing she saw was Yuku walking in front of her, kneeling down.

Then blackness.

--

_"Is it starting up yet?"_

_"I'm not quite sure why it isn't...The computer says all systems are functional, all backup systems in place...What could possibly be wrong with it..."_

_"Ah! There it goes, it's eyes are opening!"_

_With an audible, but loud first click, the robot's eyes opened and blinked once. Twice._

_"My name is Unit 4. My condition is working."_

_The robot herself was nothing special, actually. It's 'skin' was nothing but pure metal, and it's eyes were filled fully with yellow, no pupils or anything._

_"What capabilities does this one have, sir?"_

_"More commands than Unit's 2 and 3, as well as several more weapons."_

_Weapons...? Why would they need weapons? That robot looked friendly, if even a bit homely._

_What was this place..._

--

More images...More and more...Of her and others...Of pieces of machinery and huge, unbelievable looking metal parts...What was this feeling...This strange feeling of betrayal?

"You saw, correct?" Yuku loomed over her, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but...I don't understand..." Her vision was growing blurry, but it wasn't another vision. The plug clicked out of place from her arm and limply fell to the floor.

"In due time, you shall. As for the time being, you must leave."

"Leave? But...Yuku, why? Can't you tell me more?"

"..."

"...Yuku?" Miku whispered, trying to stay calm. The tender feeling she'd first felt upon seeing him was gone and instead replaced by utter panic.

"...I will come again, Miku. Wait for me."

Raising his hand towards her, his palm held a small light which glowed intensly. Miku shut her eyes and put her arms up, trying to block the brightness away. It almost hurt, the light...Her fingers tingled with electricity and then...Nothing...

--

"Wake up, Miku!!"

Eyes bolting open, Miku looked around quickly at her location. She was back in her bedroom, light streaming in through the curtains at her window.

Her body was twitching slightly at a fast pace, but when she sat up, her mechanical body went still. Images of what occured seemed to occupy her mind the most.

The most prominant of these images was of Yuku, the tall male she had, possibly, met last night. Had she been dreaming about everything? It felt so real...And she could still remember seeing that robot...And the calmness instilled in her was still-

"MIKU!!" Someone was banging violently on her door. "GET UP, IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!"

Was that...Teto?

Opening her door, Miku's arm was grabbed and she was pulled down the hallway. Catching up with Teto as best she could, it didn't take long to see the tears on the pink-haired girl's face.

"Why are you crying...? What's wrong?" She could have sworn her circuitry froze as her fear was confirmed.

"It's Ted! H-He's sick! Really really sick!"


	8. Chapter 7

**I apologize for the rather long wait. Writer's Block is the enemy of all fanfiction writers. Please enjoy this chapter, and look forward to more timely updates in the future.**

--

If there was one thing Miku had learned in life, it was that Teto Kasane never cried unless it was something very terrible. It was, to say at the very, _very _least, unsettling beyond belief to watch the young UTAUloid cry.

Here she sat again in the white room, surrounded by many other Vocaloids, as well as UTAUloids. Ones who never exchanged little than a few words to each other. Ones who never spoke to each other or met each other.

Len, Dell, Ren, Rei and now Ted...

Five people were now hanging in the balance. She didn't understand it. Ted wasn't a part of Len's robot line, so why had he been affected? It didn't make the least bit of sense.

Sense wasn't required anymore though to know that whatever was going on, it was big.

"I am sure that Ted-san will pull through quite fine..." Spoke a blue-purple haired male next to Teto. Miku picked up on his voice for a moment and tried to remember his name. She was sure it was Taya, but...

_'The truth will be revealed.'_

Who was that?

_'Go and the truth will be revealed to you.'_

It sounded so familiar...Was that...Yuku?

No, Miku thought, it couldn't be. It was just a crazy dream, it had to be. But the rising feeling in her stomach area was telling otherwise.

_'The truth will set you free, my dear.'_

She stood and quickly walked out the door. From behind her she could hear the others calling her name, but she didn't glance back. A walk was what she needed right now.

--

As tempting as it was to take a nap, Miku kicked the thought out of her mind as quickly as it came. She couldn't let this get to her. But at the same time, it was impossible to avoid.

Maybe it was like those weird sci-fi movies she used to watch with Len and Rin. Those ones about robots being evil and the good humans standing up to them and-

No no NO!

Now her head just plain wasn't screwed on right! Vocaloids were nothing like those destroyers, not at all!

The mint haired girl sidetracked herself onto another path, searching for a bench to sit on. She needed to stop and take a good look at all this.

As she walked, her eyes slowly trailed down to look at her hand. It looked like any other human hand in every way. The color, feel, texture, even the same muscles. But rip off the fake skin and beneath it...

Pure, cold circuitry. Vocaloids are only as human as their creators wanted them to be.

Why couldn't they be more human? Was it just not possible from them to be anymore human than they already were? That could be it, possibly, but still...

Technology was so advanced now, she would think that they could at least have human parts. Like a cyborg or something...

Her thoughts were disrupted when she glanced up -she couldn't remember glancing down- and saw a certain figure sitting on the bench nearby.

Whoever it was had long, silver-gray hair in a purple and black bow...

...Haku?

Without hesitating, Miku ran down the rest of the path until she was standing in front of Haku, who was covering her face with her hands, shoulders shivering.

"Haku...?" She questioned, kneeling down towards the older girl. When she didn't get any response, she reached towards her before Haku suddenly slid away from her to the other side of the bench.

With a worried look, Miku sat down on the spot Haku had been on. It felt warm, like she'd been sitting here a long time.

"What's wrong...?" She asked again, prodding for information while trying to inch towards her on the bench.

"D...Dell-san...He..." Haku stopped mid-sentence for a choked sob.

Of course, why hadn't Miku been thinking right? Obviously she was worried about Dell. After all, they were siblings, just like the rest of them. Except, Haku was different...

Considering she was part of Miku, and Dell was part of Len, it was strange that the whole idea of twins never made it with them.

"...I'll bet he'll be fine." Miku found herself saying.

"...Y...You think so...?"

"...Yes, I do. He's stronger than he looks."

Uncovering her eyes, Haku looked to Miku with a small smile. But it didn't last long, because suddenly, Haku's vision was filled with zeroes and ones. Miku noticed fast and reached for Haku, quickly grabbing her arm before the Voyakiloid's body had a chance to fall.

This...It had happened before, hadn't it? Back at home...But they'd all been so sure that it was just one of their many Voyakiloid glitches. Not to mention, since she had a 'connection' with Dell, no doubt she'd be feeling some effects from it.

But this...This didn't feel like something normal...

The numbers faded from her vision as fast as they came, and Haku found herself laying on the bench with Miku standing over her, worry written all over her face.

Haku could feel Miku brush her bangs out of her face, and for whatever reason, it made a sudden surge of anger move through her. She didn't want to be treated like a child! She could take care of herself, just like the others!

So why was she-

"Haku?" Miku broke the silence, with that same worried look on her face. "Are you...alright?"

"I'm...Fine...We get these things all the time..." She spoke calmly, as if all the anger in her never existed.

From the look Miku gave her, the green-haired girl knew full well that she was lying, but she didn't ask why, to Haku's relief.

"I have to...Go now...And see Dell..." Her voice cracked as she struggled to get off the bench.

Miku reached for her to stop her, but the silver-haired girl had already started off running and was out of sight before she could do anything more.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she took Haku's place on the bench and let her mind think as hard as it wanted. Why was Haku here anyway? Didn't she spend almost all of her time with the other Voyakiloids? And speaking of them, Miku hadn't seen them recently...

Not that they talked on a normal basis, anyway. The Voyakiloids and the Vocaloids had a tendency to stay away from each other as much as they possibly could.

_'Avoiding others simply tells them they are unwanted company.'_

With a startled yelp, Miku stood from her seat and looked all around. Who was that? Where did it come from?

_'Do you not reconize me?'_

Was that...No, it couldn't be, it was just her mind playing stupid games with her again.

_'I am not a mere game you can run from, I am as real as you are. As real as the sky and the sun that fills it. As real as the grass and the flowers that grow on it.'_

"Where are you...? S-Show yourself!" Demanded Miku, her body shaking a bit with stress and tension.

From the bushes nearby, a figure rose to reveal itself, being the very same figure that she'd seen only just the night before.

"...Yuku?"

"I see you remember me, my dear girl..."

His eyes were halfway closed, but the gaze he gave her made Miku shudder. How had he found her? And how had he gotten here? Come to think of it, if he was real, how had last night happened, and-

"Surely your little mind can not take the pressure of so many questions upon itself at one time. Perhaps we should lighten that load so that you do not overload like many others have?"

As much as Miku wanted him to tell her, she wished he didn't speak cryptically like he did. It only made her mind hurt more.

Before she knew it, his hand was outstretched towards her, beckoning her to take it.

"Come. I wish to speak with you somewhere more...private than our current location." Yuku's voice contained the same smoothness it had used the night before.

Hesitantly, her fingers twitched slightly as she raised her hand towards him. Could she really trust him? What if he took her someplace with the intent of doing...Of doing...Well, she wasn't sure _what_ he might do, but she didn't want to find out.

"I do not have all day, my dear. We must be swift and quick." A slight boom was in Yuku's voice this time. He didn't want to play around here.

Without thinking, Miku gripped his hand and let him lead their way, out of the park and off down the street.

Little did she know what she was getting herself into...


End file.
